Friday, October 19, 2012

Why Do Muslims Go To Hajj in Mecca?

 
Every year, millions of Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca, fulfilling one of the Five Pillars of Islam, namely to make the Hajj in Mecca, the holy city, at least once in a lifetime if able to do so.
Yet in addition to fulfilling one of the Five Pillars of Islam, what are the spiritual reasons for performing the Hajj in Mecca? Although the reasons for going to Hajj in Mecca may be innumerable, this article sheds light on some of the deeper spiritual aspects of the holy pilgrimage.

Why Do Muslims Go to Hajj in Mecca? Unity.


One of the fundamental principles of Islamic Spirituality is the principle of unity. Islam teaches that not only is the Creative Power, God, Allah Almighty, One, but so is all of creation and all of humanity. Perhaps in no other spiritual or religious event is this more evident than in the Hajj in Mecca, during which millions of Muslims set aside all differences of race, caste, economic status, nationality, and even sect as they unite in the holy pilgrimage, each donning the simple two-piece white garb of the non-attached traveler, allowing nearly no apparent difference whatsoever between men as they stand together before their Creator.
“All men are equal before God as are the teeth of a comb.” — Prophet Muhammad Quotes (SAWS)
After initially being indoctrinated in the unconventional belief system of the race-focused Nation of Islam, Malcolm X only began to honestly realize the true spirit of Islam after making the Hajj in Mecca, in which he sat, ate and slept shoulder to shoulder with believers of every possible race and ethnicity, all equal before God and united in Divine Love and brotherhood.
Why do Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca? To overcome the superficial differences the ego uses to identify and separate with. To achieve unity in soul and spirit, unity of heart, and return to a purified state of oneness, reflecting the holy spirit, nature and presence of God in creation.

Why Do Muslims Go to Hajj in Mecca? Focus.


Our lives, often engrossed and nearly entirely occupied with dunya, the external material world of forms and appearances, leads to heedlessness, unconsciousness and loss of focus. When asking, “Why do Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca?”, one of the most important reasons for the Hajj in Mecca is to assert focus and regain consciousness.
All created bodies spin in orbits around their centers, axes, and the proper foundation and center for the life of a human being is the Presence of God, a real and authentic holy spiritual connection to the Creator of all that is, the One Power from which all things originate.
The Hajj in Mecca emphatically asserts, as throngs of pilgrims circumambulate the Holy Ka’ba in counter-clockwise revolutions, that the center, the focus, of man’s life is God-consciousness. There is no more liberating choice for a human being than to consciously relinquish attachment to creation and time, and to restore focus on the Eternal, the Unchanging, the Immaterial.
Just as galaxies spin around massive black holes that ultimately result in their annihilation, so too does the life of man revolve around growing God-consciousness, ultimately resulting in the annihilation of the self, the ego, and through that death, the awakening to eternal life.
 

Why do Muslims Go to Hajj in Mecca? Context.


Islam is not, and had never seen itself, as an isolated religion or phenomenon. To the contrary, Islam has from the beginning asserted that the descent of the Holy Qur’an and the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) were but the final revelation, completing, clarifying and unifying all of that which was revealed before.
Islam, the spiritual path of surrender, did not begin with the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), but rather began with the first man and woman, Adam and Eve (AS), and continued as the central teaching of all men and messengers of God, including the prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (AS).
During the Hajj in Mecca, Muslims honor the Holy Ka’ba originally built by Adam (AS) as the first House of God when he awakened on earth, rebuilt by Abraham and Ishmael (AS) centuries later, and finally purified by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) in the seventh century of the idolatry that had invaded it.
Why do Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca? To reaffirm their connection to a much larger historical context, and to remember that Islam is not a separate or unique religion, revealed to but a particular people, but that rather Islam is the original message and path, the Way, surrender and divine harmony, as it has been revealed from the earliest of times to the earliest of men as the road to peace and prosperity.
The Hajj in Mecca is thus intended to lead to greater humility and brotherhood with all of humanity in the context of the realization that all prophets and messengers of God taught the same essential truth.

Why Do Muslims Go to Hajj in Mecca? Transcendence.


During the Hajj in Mecca, millions of human beings stand together under the hot sun with nothing but the ihram, a few pieces of white cloth covering their bodies. All the trappings of life have fallen away, all worldly attachments non-existent and left behind. The atmosphere is remarkably reminiscent of the accounts of the Day of Judgement, when humanity will be resurrected and held to face what they sent ahead in deeds and actions.
On that Day, it will not matter what type of car a person drove nor will the square footage of the size of their home be of significance. It will be irrelevant what temporal occupation they had. What will matter is what positive difference one made in the life of another human being. What will matter is the degree of responsibility with which we lived our lives. On that Day, we will not be measured by our bank accounts as we are now, but by the level of spiritual and human development we embraced.
During the Hajj in Mecca, one cannot but be reminded of the life beyond, the life eternal, when the world and all it contains has fallen away and all that matters is the eternal destiny of the human soul.
Why do Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca? To transcend to whatever degree they are prepared for the world of forms and appearances, to experience life and dignity beyond the limitations of materialism, and to irrevocably grow in spiritual consciousness and awareness.

Why Do Muslims Go to Hajj In Mecca? God.

The holy pilgrimage of the Hajj in Mecca is not a once in a lifetime event to be experienced and forgotten, but rather is a uniquely powerful spiritual experience designed to forevermore change a human being and his or her focus.
For the believer, the Muslim, the center and focus of life is God-consciousness, awareness and clarity. The five daily prayers are meant to continually reinforce this truth, this Way, and the full realization of the Islamic spiritual path is obtained through a deeper realization of the significance of the Hajj.
That realization is that God is not in the Ka’ba, but rather the Divine Presence is to be found within the human heart, the soul. It was when the great Islamic mystic poet Rumi realized this divine truth that he began to circumambulate around the center and axis of his very own being, his own soul. And so was born the practice of sufi whirling.
God has said, “Neither the heavens nor the earth can contain Me, save the heart of a believer.” — Prophet Muhammad Quotes (SAWS)
Often, we must make the external journey to realize that we carry with us what we seek.

Experience the Hajj — Now



By incorporating the intentions outlined in this article, you can get the most out of Hajj. In fact, you can share in these spiritual benefits even if you are not physically performing the Hajj in Mecca.
Keep these principles in mind and make them part of the intention in your daily practice.
  1. Seek Unity. Realize and remember that separation is the ego’s method of maintaining a separate and independent existence from God. Love all of humanity, regardless of the superficial differences of culture and creed. In our souls, in our hearts, we are all the same, we are all One.
  2. Maintain Focus. Continually maintain focus on Eternity, on the Divine Presence of God, rather than allowing yourself to become overtaken by dunya, the world of form and appearances that continually seeks to distract us and lead us into heedlessness, unconsciousness and loss of purpose. Use the Five Daily Prayers as an opportunity to continually reaffirm your focus and direction in life.
  3. Keep Context. Remember that Islam is a universal path of peace and brotherhood, and it’s goal is to move beyond war, conflict, violence and enemies. The goal of Islam, as taught by the Holy Prophet (SAWS) and revealed in the Holy Qur’an, is for humanity to seek and live in peace, differences allowed and human rights protected. The Muslim is the exemplar of human excellence, and this requires a divine degree of love, tolerance and compassion.
  4. Pursue Enlightenment. The one veil that separates a human being from the direct experience of the Divine Presence of God is the self, the ego, the nafs. The Islamic Spiritual Path is designed to ultimately liberate a human being from this limited, finite and selfish personality, and this is only possible through Jihad an-Nafs, the holy struggle against the self.
  5. Find God. Continually turn inward, take advantage of silence and stillness, and learn to dissolve in the perfection of the present moment, the doorway into the Divine Presence of God. Let go of past and future, forgive, and awaken to fearlessness and life, here, now.
Why do Muslims go to Hajj in Mecca? Ultimately, to become what God Almighty created humanity for — awakened and enlightened divine deputies of the One, perfected servants in creation, open, clear and transparent, free of selfishness, manifesting goodness, beauty, light and love.
Through Islamic Spirituality, you can develop a far deeper spiritual practice that leads to enlightenment, peace and prosperity — for you and the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment